Grandmas and Grandpas, Nanas and Papas, Mamaws and Papaws galore paraded down the hallways of our school recently as we celebrated the 100th day of school. Children and staff were encouraged to dress as if they were 100 years old, and as you might imagine, creativity reigned supreme in wardrobe, makeup, and hardware choices! I was at school very early, and since my office is in a central location near the front doors, I had a good spot for viewing children as they trickled in on this dark Monday morning. Due to three consecutive snow days and a weekend, we hadn't been at school for almost a week. As I entered the hallway to run an errand in the office, I saw a petite second grade grandmother walking hesitantly in the direction of the gym, where her classmates await the time to go to class. Of course I had to gush over her get-up, for she was an absolute doll. Her hair was in a neat bun and powdered to look gray, she wore a white lacy cardigan, a long strand of pearls, granny glasses on a chain, and on her arm she balanced an old lady handbag. However, the little girl turned around, stood still, and gazed at me solemnly through worried blue eyes. "Is something wrong?" I asked. With a furrowed brow, she said, "I'm just afraid that my mom got the day wrong and that it's not really Hundreds Day." With a giggle, I was happy to explain that yes indeed, I had seen several other children dressed as old folks. With a grin and a relieved sigh, Mamaw turned on her heel and jauntily took herself and her prominent purse to meet her classmates. Thinking about her dilemma, I could completely empathize. Since we hadn't been at school in so long, the little girl wasn't 100% positive that this was the dress-up day, and honeybun, she would have been mortified to be the only geriatric among a class of 7 year olds. Bless her little heart. Glad I could quickly remedy that fear so she could enjoy her special day!
